The Secret Garden Continued
by Lady Sophie of Lalaland
Summary: The stroy continues. Mary, Colin, and Dickon grow up, fall in love, and discover how much The Secret Garden really means to them.
1. Time Flies

Prologue – "Across the lawn came the Master of Misselthwaite, and he looked as many of them had never seen him. And by his side with his head up in the air and his eyes full of laughter walked as strongly and steadily as any boy in Yorkshire – Master Colin!"

Chapter 1 – Time Flies (Summer 1911 – Summer 1913)

The next two years passed quickly and happily for the residents of Misselthwaite and its surrounding environs. The halls and gardens of Misselthwaite Manor, once so dark and gloomy, were now bright with sunshine and rang with the laughter of children. Mary was no long a pinched and sour little thing, but a bright young girl with spirit and laughter in her soul. Colin was no longer a cranky invalid, but an active and adventurous boy. Even Master Craven had changed, as he now remained in Yorkshire a majority of the time, with a soft smile on his lips and a spring in his step.

Most importantly, Archibald Craven took an active interest in the lives of his niece and son. He ate with them, laughed with them, and even tended the garden with them. But he also decided it was high time he took an interest in their future, as he now expected Colin to live a long and full life, which also made him realize he would need to make preparations for Mary's future as well.

So although the children protested, Archibald Craven set forth to find a proper governess for them both. In the end, he secured the services of a Jane Rhys-Davies, a highly educated young woman who he felt could handle the learning needs of both her young charges. Since neither Mary nor Colin had been a willing scholar in the past, their education had been spotty at best, downright dismal at worst. Miss Rhys-Davies had her work cut out for them, especially since Mr. Craven had confided he wanted Colin to be able to enter Eton when he turned thirteen. That gave poor Ms. Rhys-Davies only two short years to catch Colin up to boys who had spent years having knowledge drilled into their heads.

Mary's needs were not so pressing, as she was only expected to attend a finishing school, where the academic standards were not so lofty. However, Mary had a competitive spirit and she did not want to fall behind her cousin in their lessons. Neither would Miss Rhys-Davies allow her to, as Miss Rhys-Davies did not go along with the common belief that a woman's brain was any less capable of rational thought than that of a man. Having been unable to pursue a course of study at a university was particularly galling to the brilliant young woman, so she had vowed never to hold back one of her own students just because of their gender.

There was one other, completely unexpected student in their little school. Dickon also became Miss Rhys-Davies student. This unprecedented event happened in the most mundane and simple of ways. On the first day of lessons, Miss Rhys-Davies awaited her charges in the library. They were ten minutes late, and Miss Rhys-Davies was more than a little put out. She had tutored the children of wealthy families for over a decade, and she was well aware of how spoilt and impertinent some of them could be. Then she heard the sounds of childish laughter in the distance.

Peering out the door and down the hallway, she witnessed Mary, Colin, and Dickon engaged in a highly physical game of tag. She was quite surprised to see the pair of well dressed children engaged in such rough and tumble play, but even more so at the sight of a child who was so obviously from the lower classes playing as an equal.

"Ahem!" she cleared her throat and the children froze like statues. "You must be Master Colin and Miss Mary."

"Oh no, we're late aren't we?" Mary all but wailed.

"Yes, but we can go in, get started, and still get off on the right foot," Miss Rhys-Davies said to them.

"Um…I suppose I should leave thee to tha' lessons," said Dickon quietly. There was something in the way he said it, so heart breakingly sadly, that tugged at Miss Rhys-Davies' own heart.

"Perhaps you could come in and keep these two company while they learn their lessons," she offered him. Dickon's already round blue eyes grew even rounder when he heard this. He had assumed a governess would chase him off if he attempted to stay for lessons. But he had to admit that he was curious to see what learning with a governess would be like. So he shyly followed them into the library and took as seat a good ways back from the proceedings.

For the next hour, Miss Rhys Davis quizzed Mary and Colin in grammar, sums, spelling, geography, and history. Although both were behind in all subjects, they were not as far backward as she feared, and both seemed bright and willing to learn. After finishing her assessment , she began with some basic lessons and then assigned reading for the evening. When she dismissed her charges for the day, Colin cried "Race you to the garden, Mary," before speeding out of the room.

"Colin Craven, you cheat," Mary cried, running after him and unwittingly knocking several books off the table by the door as she sped out of the room. Miss Rhys-Davies went to go pick them up, but Dickon was faster and beat her there. Still, she knelt to help him.

"Thank you, Dickon," she said to him as he helped her pile the books back on the table.

"Aye, glad ta be helpful. An' I wish to thank thee for tha lessons," he said softly.

"You enjoyed?" asked Miss Rhys-Davies.

"Aye, tha I did. I's too long since I studied," he told her.

"You don't go to school?" asked Miss Rhys-Davies, horrified that a boy his age was not in some sort of a classroom.

"Aye. I've learned my letters and my sums, so t'was time to start earning my keep. I'm an under gardener here at Misselthwaite."

'Would you like to learn more?" she asked.

He looked shocked to be asked, but nodded his head and smiled softly. His keen blue eyes sparkled so at the idea of further schooling, that Miss Rhys-Davies obtained permission from Mr. Craven to add Dickon to her small class. Her request took him by surprise, but he had a soft spot for the lad who had done so much for his own son, and since he and his family were to proud to take an financial gifts he would offer them as thanks for that, the least he could do was provide an education to allow Dickon a chance to better himself.

So most mornings, Mary and Colin rose, dressed, and ate an early breakfast with Mr. Craven. Then they took a short exercise time in the main gardens, running, skipping, and hopping so that Colin could continue to build his strength and stay healthy. Dickon would work all this time in the gardens or the stables, then join them when they went to their lessons. They would break for lunch, have another set of lessons, then spend the rest of the afternoon in their Garden, tending to it and enjoying the Magic they shared together. Then, Dickon would return to his work and Mary and Colin would clean up and join Mr. Craven for dinner. Evenings were spent reading, doing additional assigned schoolwork, and playing games.

The children's' minds were not dissimilar to the flowers in The Garden, and under Miss Rhys-Davies' tender ministrations, they blossomed. Colin excelled at all things logical, such as mathematics and grammar, extending from his love of puzzles and riddles. He also enjoyed Miss Rhys-Davies introducing him to sciences, such as Botany and Astronomy. Mary was a brilliant speller, and she adored Geography, History, and Literature. She excelled in these areas partly due to her being so well traveled compared to her companions, but also due to loving to read.

But the real surprise was Dickon. Dickon turned out to have a far keener mind than Miss Rhys-Davies anticipated and he absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Whether it was math or history or botany, Dickon was often the first to catch on to a new concept. And Dickon turned out to have a gift for writing. His essays were so beautifully written, it amazed Miss Rhys-Davies to realize they were written by a child. Dickon had a gift for the written language. Yes, his handwriting was atrocious and he was never the best of spellers. But his way with words was well beyond his age level. It was simply astounding.

Life was busy and joyful at Misselthwaite Manor. The only thing that loomed over the heads of the youngsters who lived there was boarding school. All of them knew the day would soon come where Colin and Mary would be sent away. And no amount of begging or arguments would convince Mr. Craven otherwise. So the happy and peaceful life they knew came to an end in the fall of 1913, when Colin left Misselthwaite for Eton and Mary left Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Girls.

Dickon watched sadly as his friends rode off in the carriage and away to worlds he would never know. Posh boarding schools were not options for a lad such as himself. He was already far better educated than anyone else in all of Thwaite, save Reverend Chaucer, Dr. Craven, or Lawyer Wilson. And he intended to continue studying alone. Although Miss Rhys-Davies also left, before she did she prepared a plan of study for Dickon to use over the next several years. And Mr. Craven kindly agreed to lend him the books he needed from his own library. But it wouldn't be the same without Colin and Mary to study and play with. Especially Mary, Dickon thought to himself. He sighed, knowing it would be a long six years until she returned to Misselthwaite for good.


	2. At Miss Minchin's

Chapter 2 – At Miss Minchin's (Fall 1913 -

Mary's first reaction to Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Girls was very similar to another young lady who had arrived at the school several years before. She found the school cold and forbidding, and like the previous students, she noticed the varnished red cheeks of the moon on the mantle clock and how the very chairs felt as if they had bones in them. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair as Miss Minchin gushed over Mary's good looks and intelligence (although Mary knew Miss Minchin could have no knowledge of this, as Mary had said barely ten words to Miss Minchin so far). Mary sat there wondering if Miss Minchin said the same things to every girl who arrived at the school, and eventually she had her suspicions confirmed.

Mr. Craven was beginning to have his doubts about Miss Minchin and her school. Somehow, the Seminary seemed even a gloomier place than Misselthwaite. That and the pompous and phony woman puffing hot air across from him was not exactly easing his anxiety at sending Mary away. However, he had spoken to several acquaintances whose daughters had attended the school, and all of them had positive things to say about their daughters' educations. As he could not come up with a conclusive reason for him to take her away, Mr. Craven knew that he would have to allow Mary to attend.

"So, will we need to make any special accommodations for Miss Lennox?" Miss Minchin asked. Mary turned to Mr. Craven. He smiled and nodded, urging her to ask for what he knew she wanted.

"Might I…might I have a bit of earth?" she asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Miss Minchin said.

"A bit of earth…for planting a garden?"

"Miss Lennox, we do not allow our young ladies to play in the dirt," said Miss Minchin.

"Excuse me, Miss Minchin," interrupted Mr. Craven. "Mary here has her own special garden on my estate, and it is possibly the finest garden in Yorkshire. It belonged to my late wife, who tended it herself, and now it belongs to my niece. I see no harm in allowing Mary to indulge her green thumb, even in London."

"Err…well…perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement," Miss Minchin stuttered, desperate to keep Mary and Mr. Craven happy. She knew how wealthy Mr. Craven was, and she loathed the idea of turning away such a rich and prominent gentleman's niece. It would be a blow to the school that it could not take, considering the recent withdrawals of several pupils and the upsetting change of fortune of one former pupil that particularly galled Miss Minchin' cold and greedy heart.

So in the end, it was agreed that a small corner of the kitchen garden would be turned over to Mary for her own use. Mr. Craven would set up accounts at shops that sold seeds and gardening tools, and so Mary could restock her garden as often as she needed. She was also given one of the front rooms which had a window box, so she could grow flowers right in her own room. Miss Minchin considered these requests ridiculous, but she had more demanding and difficult parents make requests in the past, so after the initial interview she wisely kept her mouth shut.

After the interview, Mr. Craven took Mary to meet Colin for tea. Mr. Pitcher had taken Colin to be fitted for Eton's uniforms, and Colin was relieved that that ordeal was over. The family spent the next few days shopping for Mary's school wardrobe, both children's school books, and other needed items for the upcoming school terms. They also took in some of the sights in London. Mary had found the zoo, with its caged, lethargic animals, particularly depressing, and wrote to Dickon about how unnatural it was to keep animals in cages. Mary was sure Dickon would agree that animals were happier wandering about like they did on the moor.

Finally, the day came when Mr. Craven and Colin had to leave Mary before they made their way to Eton. It was late on a Sunday afternoon, and the goodbyes were said with much laughter and tears. Mary thought her heart would burst at the pain of being left behind by the only family she had left, but Mr. Craven promised that Christmas would come in an instant, and that they would be together soon. Mary fought back tears and promised to write every week. Then, with a flurry of hugs and kisses, her uncle and cousin left to head for Eton.

Mary was then escorted to her room. She began to rearrange her things on top of her dresser when her new roommate arrived.

"Oh, hello," said the plump girl with an earnest face. "My name is Ermengarde St. John. You must be Mary Lennox."

"It's nice to meet you, Ermengarde," Mary told her. "You have a very pretty name."

"You really think so?" Ermengarde asked, pleased as her unusual name was her one pet vanity.

"Very much so. It sounds like a name out of a story book," Mary said. At this Ermengarde's mouth dropped. Only one other person had ever said the exact same thing to her, and that was her dearest, most beloved friend. She smiled, hoping her new roomie would be another good friend.

"I…thank you. Where have you come here from?" she asked politely.

"From Misselthwaite Manor in the town of Thwaite, in Yorkshire. But I was born in India," she told Ermengarde. At this Ermengarde turned very pale. This was far too spooky of a coincidence for Miss St. John to cope with.

"I have a very good friend who is also from India," she told Mary.

"Does she go to school here?" asked Mary. Ermengarde shook her head, her long light brown pigtail swishing back and forth as she did.

"She used to but her guardian took her away. I believe they are traveling in Venice right now," she explained. The two girls spent the next hour getting acquainted. Although Ermengarde was not particularly bright or interesting, Mary decided she was sweet and good natured and that she was glad to have her as both a roomie and a friend. When the dinner bell rang, they went down and Ermengarde took her assigned seat at the table, while Mary was told by Miss Amelia, Miss Minchin's plump younger sister, to take the empty seat next to Miss Minchin. Everyone stood at attention, watching Miss Minchin.

"Young ladies, I would like to introduce you to our newest pupil, Mary Lennox, who comes to us from Thwaite, Yorkshire."

"Good evening, Mary," all the girls said in unison while curtseying.

"Good evening," Mary said, returning their greeting with a little curtsey of her own, even though she felt slightly ridiculous doing it. Then, everyone was seated and the meal began. Mary noticed that a very tall, much older girl sitting next to Miss Minchin was giving her a cold and hostile stare. Mary frowned, wondering how she possibly could have done something to offend this girl. She decided to ask Ermengarde about the tall girl later.

After dinner, the girls were excused to the common room, where many of Mary's classmates took time to get acquainted with her. Mary was not used to be around so many young girls, and was quite overwhelmed by the barrage of names and faces. Ermengarde saw that Mary was having trouble and stuck to her all night, trying to help her make her way through. The tall girl, who would have been quite pretty if she did not wear such an angry and hateful expression on her face, ignored Mary all evening and pretended to be reading, even though Mary caught her giving her several dirty looks.

At last, it was time to retire for the evening. As they changed into their nightgowns, Mary asked Ermengarde about the tall girl.

"Oh that's just Lavinia Herbert. She's not one of the nicer girls in this school," Ermengarde sniffed.

"She seems to dislike me already," Mary commented.

"She always is particularly nasty to any girl who is pretty. She likes being thought of as the prettiest girl in the school, and she hates competition," Ermengarde explained.

Mary froze. Ermengarde had just told her she was pretty. All of Mary's life, everyone around her had said that she was ugly. And although Mary had lost the pinched and yellow look she arrived with from India, she had never really believed she was pretty. To hear it from a new acquaintance, particularly from a peer, was a shocking revelation. She glanced surreptitiously in the looking glass, and she could see the changes in her face. Her hair, which had been so thin and lank when she arrived in England, was now lay thick and lustrous over her shoulders, a sunny golden color that complimented her hazel eyes. She was no longer too thin, but was still slender and healthy looking. Her skin was no longer yellow, but rosy. It had been easy to see these improvements, but Mary had never really noticed her delicate facial features or long dark eyelashes. Maybe she really was pretty after all. With this happy thought rattling in her head, she wished Ermengarde a good night and curled up under her blankets.

Mary began attending her lessons the next morning. Miss Rhys-Davies would have been proud to see that her young scholar was right at the top of all her classes, and Mary was pleased to find that she had no trouble learning her lessons. The same could not be said for Ermengarde, but Mary offered to help her, which made Ermengarde smile at the familiarity of the situation.

The next few weeks passed happily and quickly. Mary enjoyed her lessons, worked in her small garden patch, and grew closer to Ermengarde, and Lottie Leigh, a younger girl who Ermengarde treated as a younger sister. Even though Mary disliked Miss Minchin and felt the school was a little too formal and oppressive at times, she adjusted and began to enjoy herself.

The only cloud on the horizon was Lavinia. Mary made her formal acquaintance with her at the end of her first week when she came in from her garden plot. She was dressed in a plain brown dress, a dirt streaked apron, and old boots. Lavinia was coming down the stairs and saw Mary, noticing the smudges of dirt on her face.

"My my, unable to keep ourselves clean, are we?" she asked in a poisonously sweet voice.

"It's difficult to work in a garden and not get dirty," Mary answered her as politely as she could.

"Work in a garden? Why on earth would you want to work in a garden?" asked Lavinia in disbelief.

"It's nice to be outside, working hard and helping things grow," Mary answered defensively.

"Well, if you enjoy traipsing around in the muck and being confused with a servant, then by all means continue," sneered Lavinia.

"Yes. I think I will," said Mary as she brushed past the older girl and made her way to her room to wash up and change for dinner.

Mary found that some of the girls who were Lavinia's closer acquaintances (for Mary refuse d to believe that someone with so foul a personality could actually have friends) followed her lead in taunting and teasing Mary about her "common" hobby. If Mary had been a weaker willed girl it would have either caused her to break down in tears or stop gardening. But Mary was certainly not weak willed, and she wasn't going to let Lavinia or anyone else stop her from doing something she loved.

Mary told Colin and Dickon about this. She wrote both boys weekly, as well as her uncle. Colin wrote back sporadically, as he was not much of a correspondent, but Dickon's letters never failed to arrive at the beginning of each week. He often sent her pressed flowers he got from either the Secret Garden or the moor. Mary enjoyed his letters, as they kept her informed on the progress of the Secret Garden and the goings on around Misselthwaite. She could hardly wait for Christmas, and her first visit back to Yorkshire.


	3. Deck the Halls

Chapter 3 – Deck the Halls

December 1913

As her Uncle Archibald had promised, the term flew by and it was Christmas time. Mary could hardly manage to make herself sit still in her last morning of classes, waiting for her uncle to come and pick her up. But finally, she was seated on the train from London with him and Colin, heading north to Yorkshire.

"Oh Uncle Archibald, I am so happy to be going home," Mary said as the train left the outskirts of London. Mr. Craven smiled, happy that Misselthwaite was once again a place someone could happily refer to as a home. Granted, it was far quieter when Mary and Colin were away from school, but even then it was a happier place than it had been since before his niece's arrival.

"Has everything been decorated yet?" Colin asked.

"The servants have hung the Christmas garlands and put out candles, mistletoe, and holy, but we left the tree for you and Mary," said Mr. Craven. Colin smiled, please to hear this, as trimming the tree was something he loved. He had never trimmed a tree until he was eleven years old, and he intended to do so every year for the rest of his life.

The children spent the train ride filling Mr. Craven in on their experiences at school. Mary spoke fondly of Ermengade and Lottie, Colin told them about the boys in his classes, and the two cousins compared notes of their lessons. Mary was pleased with her tiny garden in the back, even though it was currently buried under the recent snowfall waiting for the spring. But she longed to visit the Secret Garden, even if it too was under several inches of snow. At the very least, she, Colin, and Dickon could enjoy a snowball fight there.

The train ride seemed to last forever, but at last they reached Thwaite station and transferred to Mr. Craven's carriage. The ride was a short one, and at last Misselthwaite Manor came into view. Lined up in front was the entire staff, waiting to greet Mr. Craven and the children. The coach had barely come to a stop when Mary popped out of the carriage and ran straight to Dickon, nearly tackling the lad with her flying leap of a hug.

"Eh, Miss Mary, I'm gladt see thee, but a lad's got t' breathe," he gasped laughing.

"I'm sorry," Mary said, disengaging her arms from around his neck with a sheepish grin.

"T'is all right," he said with a laugh. Then Mary turned to give hugs to Martha, a very gruff but touched Ben Weatherstaff, even Mrs. Medlock was given a hug. Colin and Mr. Craven offered handshakes all around, and soon the entirety of the Manor's occupants made their way inside from the cold.

Shortly after this, Mr. Craven and the children sat down to dinner. The Cook had prepared many of the children's' favorites to welcome them back. As they were eating, Mary asked a question that was at the back of her mind all day.

"Uncle Archibald, are we having anyone over for Christmas dinner?"

"No Mary, just us. Why?"

"Perhaps we could invite Dickon and his family?" she asked shyly.

Archibald Craven smiled. Although he knew this was not the way things were normally done, he did not care. If he had spent time listening to what other people said, he would never have married Lily, whom many had said would be miserable with a gloomy hunchback.

"Of course," he told Mary. "I have some business in Thwaite tomorrow afternoon, so I will stop by their home and invite them," he told her.

And he did so. Susan Sowerby told him she would discuss the matter with her husband. When Richard Sowerby arrived home at the end of the day, she approached him with the invitation. He scratched his head, baffled.

"Mr. Craven is tha richest man in Thwaite. Whydt he invite the likes of us to Christmas dinner?" he asked.

"Tis likely tha young asking. Mary and Colin are thick as thieves with Dickon, an graidlely fond of Martha," she told him.

They discussed whether everyone in their family would feel comfortable at such a rich and fine table as was likely to be found in Misselthwaite, and if it would be like accepting charity. But in the end, they agreed it was an invitation given genuinely, not as a charitable handout. Plus, it would disappoint Mary and Colin if they turned them down, so they agreed to accept.

Mary and Colin were indeed thrilled that the Sowerby family would be joining them. Preparations for the festivities were put in place, with a pleasant meal planned for the night, and Mary and Colin putting great care into the trimming of the tree. Mary taught Colin how to make paper chains, which some of the girls at Miss Minchin's had taught her, and they made a great many more than they needed for the tree. Mrs. Medlock nearly fell over laughing when she saw them struggling to wrap what seemed like two miles of paper chains around the tree, and some of the excess was eventually used to deck the halls of Misselthwaite.

Mary was so excited that she could hardly manage to fall asleep on Christmas Eve. She had to keep repeating to herself that the sooner she fell asleep, the sooner morning would come, and at last she fell asleep. At last, Christmas morning arrived, with Martha coming in to wake Mary. Mary quickly dressed and went down to join her family for breakfast.

"Happy Christmas, everyone!" she cried as she entered the room. As had been their tradition, Mary, Colin, and Mr. Craven exchanged their gifts after breakfast. Mary gave Colin a set of Sherlock Holmes detective novels, as he had expressed an interest in reading them, and a silk cravat for Mr. Craven. Colin gave his father a new dressing gown and Mary an expensive potted orchid. Mr. Craven gave both of them a great number of gifts, including a pretty new dress of deep red velvet for Mary.

"May I wear it today?" she asked.

"Nothing would please me more," he told her, glad to see how much she liked it.

Shortly before the Sowerbys were due to arrive, Mary slipped into her new dress. It complimented her golden hair and rosy complexion. She thought of what Ermengarde had told her, and she pondered if this was true. Then she sensibly decided to not worry about it, as it probably did not make a difference to anyone whether she was pretty or not. She certainly did not want to obsess about her looks as Lavinia did.

Soon, the Sowerbys found themselves ushered into the sitting room where the tree was set up. The younger children had never been inside Misselthwaite before, and were awed by the grandeur of the place. Even Dickon, Martha, and Mrs. Sowerby were impressed by the fine Christmas decorations. Mr. Craven warmly greeted them all, and even served the punch himself to Mr. and Mrs. Sowerby and their elder children. Mary took charge of passing out cups of cocoa to the children. When drinks were properly passed out, Mr. Craven raised his glass.

"Happy Christmas everyone! I am so happy that I could have all of you here to share this wonderful day with us here at Misselthwaite," he toasted.

" "Ere 'ere!" cried Mr. Sowerby, and they drank. At first, most of the Sowerbys, especially Martha who normally would be helping serve, were a little uncomfortable, but Mr. Craven was such a gracious host that he managed to put all of his guests at ease. Soon, everyone was talking animatedly with each other. At last, Mrs. Medlock came in and announced that dinner was being served.

At this, everyone moved to the dining room. The children were a bit intimidated by the large number of forks and spoons at each place, but Mary kindly helped by explaining just start on the outside and work your way in.

The Cook had outdone herself. There was a lovely oyster soup with fresh hot rolls to start with, then a fine roast with vegetables and Yorkshire pudding, and finally plum pudding. Everyone praised the delicious meal and were quite full. Mary laughed at the massive quantities that Dickon put away.

"How do you eat like that and not be the size of Misselthwaite?" she whispered to him with a giggle.

"Aye, tis a wonder. Mother says tha Moor gives thee a powerful appetite," he replied before stuffing yet another fork full of pudding into his mouth.

After dinner, they all retired to the sitting room again to exchange gifts. Mrs. Sowerby had knit sweaters for Mr. Craven and Colin and a scarf and mittens for Mary. There were toys for the younger children and more needed things for the older ones. Martha was particularly thrilled with a pretty new dress to wear to church on Sundays. Dickon admired the set of novels by the Bronte sisters Mr. Craven had given him.

"Well, you borrowed _Wuthering Heights_ and _Jane Eyre_ more than once, so I assumed they were great favorites of yours," Mr. Craven told him.

"Aye, they are. Thank thee kindly, Mr. Craven," Dickon said with a delighted smile.

Soon after, the older Sowerbys left to take the younger ones home. Dickon, Martha, and Susan Eleanor stayed to enjoy a final cup of cocoa with Mary and Dickon, as they could walk themselves home afterward.

"Mr. Colin, Miss Mary, I have 'nother gift for each," Dickon told them. He produced two clumsily wrapped packages.

"I have something else for you too," Mary told him. Colin blushed, as he had not thought to get Dickon anything. He silently chastised himself and promised to get Dickon something next year. As it was, Dickon thrust his gift into Colin's hands and looked at him expectantly. Colin unwrapped it to find a nice magnifying glass, and was pleased as he had wanted one to use in science classes.

Mary had given Dickon a fine new cap, which she had bought for him in London. Dickon tried it on, and was pleased to see it could be adjusted if he grew. He then offered his gift to Mary. She unwrapped it to find a small heart carefully carved out of pink stone attached to a piece of black satin ribbon.

"I made that myself. Do tha like it?" he asked nervously.

"Oh Dickon, I love it," Mary cried hugging him. He looked very pleased with himself as she did, but his enjoyment of the moment was interrupted by Susan Eleanor giggling.

"An what is thee chuckling about?" he asked her pleasantly.

"Look up," she laughed. She was soon joined by Colin and Martha. Mary and Dickon looked up to see that they had somehow ended up under a bit of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. They looked at each other blushing.

"What's the matter, are you afraid she bites?" laughed Colin.

"Nowt of the sort," Mary said in broad Yorkshire as she leaned in and primly pecked Dickon on the cheek. He blushed, but looked quite happy. Colin stopped laughing and looked annoyed. In the past, he would have thrown a tantrum, but he had grown so much in the last few years that he was far beyond that sort of thing. However, part of him desperately wanted to start screaming and kicking that Mary had kissed Dickon and not him. But no, he would not. He just frowned and sat stiffly. At last, it was time for the remaining Sowerbys to leave. As they made their way to the entry hall, Dickon came to an abrupt stop.

"I forgot my old cap," he said.

"Come on, let's go back and get it," Mary said. "We'll be back in just a moment."

They turned and hurried back to the sitting room. The cap lay right where Dickon had dropped it, under the mistletoe. He scooped it up, then turned to Mary.

"Miss Mary, we're under tha mistletoe again," he whispered.

"Well then, I suppose you'll have to kiss me this time," she told him, offering him her cheek. But Dickon surprised her by gently taking her cheek and turning her to face him full on, planting a quick, chaste kiss on Mary's lips.

"What was that for?" Mary asked in surprise.

"Now tha no one else is here, I thought I would kiss thee properly," he told her.

"Oh," was all Mary had to say. This worried Dickon, because Mary always had something to say on just about everything.

"Was tha alright with thee?" he asked worriedly.

"No, it was lovely. Thank you," she told him.

"Happy Christmas, Miss Mary," he told her.

"Happy Christmas, Dickon," she said, praying he would kiss her again. But instead he slipped out the door leaving her alone. Mary followed and said goodnight to him and his siblings. Later, alone in her bed, Mary gently ran her hands over her lips. His had only touched hers for a few seconds, but she swore she could still feel them there. She thought how Dickon's navy blue jacket, patched as it was, set off his amazingly blue eyes. And how much she loved his bright, happy smile. She fell asleep that night with a smile on those newly kissed lips, and dreamt of Dickon.

And across the Moor, laying in his own bed, Dickon thought about how pretty Miss Mary had looked that night. There wasn't a girl in Thwaite, no, the whole wide world, that could compare to his Mary. Dickon smiled, also still feeling her lips on his. He hoped he'd one day have another chance to kiss those sweet, rosy lips. But for now, he was content, and rolled over to go to sleep.

Author's Note: I apologize for the badly written broad Yorkshire. I am not quite sure how to handle the dialect. Luckily, the next chapter is at Miss Minchin's again, so I can avoid that problem, but if anyone has any tips for broad Yorkshire, please let me know. And reviews are always appreciated!


	4. The Girl Next Door

Winter - Spring 1914

The rest of the holiday flew by. Mary, Colin, and Dickon met often to play outside in the snow in the Secret Garden, and then headed inside to warm up by the fires in Misselthwaite Manor. At first Mary and Dickon were a little shy with each other, but after the first day or so they were able to act normally in each other's presence. Still, neither of them could forget the kiss and both thought of it often. But at twelve and fourteen, neither of them was mature enough to bring up the kiss again.

When the holiday ended, Mr. Craven returned Mary and Colin to their respective boarding schools. Mary was again reluctant to stay at Miss Minchin's but she was happy to be reunited with Ermengarde and Lottie. Even if Mary was not overwhelmed by life at school, she valued the friendships she was forming there.

She did enjoy some of her classes, mainly the ones not taught by Miss Minchin. She loved French lessons with Monsieur Dufarge and the weekly dancing lessons with the dance master. However, the majority of the lessons were taught by Miss Minchin herself. Miss Minchin taught by rote memorization and used fear to intimidate her students into behaving. In truth, Miss Minchin was a terrible teacher and Mary only learned anything from her because Mary was a clever girl who would manage to learn under any circumstances. But students who were less clever, like Ermengarde, suffered under Miss Minchin's tyranny.

Mary leaned for the more effective methods used by Miss Rhys-Davies. Miss Rhys-Davies liked to use a lot of hands on lessons, showing how what you learned applied to real life. She also had nearly infinite patience and was good at finding a way to help a student who struggled. Mary could not understand why Miss Rhys-Davies was not the head of a school herself, and why Miss Minchin's school had such a good reputation. This was mainly due to Miss Minchin not actually liking children in the first place. People who do not actually like children generally make poor teachers. And each year, she grew more angry and embittered, especially after the incident last year with her former show pupil.

So Mary was resigned to a less than stellar education at Miss Minchin's. She had a few good lessons, a handful of good friends, and her small garden plot. Once the weather warmed up a bit, Mary began working on it to prepare for the coming spring. There was a lot to do. She had to clear away the dead plants, create little furrows to plant seeds in, and begin sowing those seeds. She also weeded and watered, enjoying her work. The small plot was the perfect size for her to work on since her time to garden was limited, but it still kept her closet to nature than anything else in London would keep her.

Miss Minchin had a great difficulty hiding her disapproval and Lavinia made fun of her for having such a "common" hobby, but Ermengarde and Lottie were supportive, often helping her or keeping her company as she worked. But one day when she was alone in the garden, she stumbled upon a new supporter.

Mary was bent over weeding, when she heard voices from the garden of the house next door. Mary peeked curiously through the gaps in the fence between the two properties. She had heard that the owners of the house next door were away traveling on the Continent, and she was curious to see the missing neighbors.

She was surprised to see a pair of girls about her own age strolling through the garden. One was dressed in a maid's uniform, and was talking pleasantly with her mistress. The girl was very well dressed, in a velvet frock and silk stockings beneath her expensive coat. She had thick black hair falling onto her shoulders and arresting green eyes. She spoke with her maid in such a friendly matter, it reminded Mary of her own relationship with Martha, whom she missed dearly. Although she could not hear a word they were saying she watched them until it was time to return to the school to wash up for supper.

As she finished getting ready for supper, Ermengarde came flying into the room, her eyes shining with happiness.

"Oh Mary, you will never guess what good news I've got," she cried as she plopped onto her bed.

"Miss Minchin's retiring and moving to Timbuktu?" Mary asked hopefully. Ermengarde laughed and shook her head.

"My best friend, Sara, just returned home from traveling. She sent me a note, asking me and Lottie to tea tomorrow," Ermengarde said.

"That sounds nice. Is she the girl who lives next door?" Mary asked, suddenly putting two and two together.

"That's her. Would you like to come to tea with us and meet her?" Ermengarde asked.

At first, Mary declined, feeling like a third wheel. But when both Lottie and Ermengarde pressed her to join them, insisting Sara would enjoy meeting her, Mary finally gave in. So the next afternoon, the three girls headed out to meet Sara. Mary was shocked when the door opened and before her stood a magnificent lascar. She had not seen one since leaving India three years before, and he stirred all sorts of memories as he salaamed to them and invited them inside. Digging some disused Hindustani out of her memory, Mary offered him a good afternoon, causing his eyes to widen. He then offered her a broad smile revealing his very white, even teeth.

"So you also lived in India, Missee Sahib?" he asked her in Hindustani.

"I was born there, but my parents died of a cholera outbreak three years ago and I have been living in Yorkshire ever since," she answered back in his native tongue. Ermengarde looked at her in awe, while Lottie giggled, knowing how this development would likely please Sara.

Ram Dass showed the girls into a small sitting room. A moment later, the door opened and the smiling face of Sara Crewe looked upon her friends.

"Mama Sara," cried Lottie launching herself across the room and into Sara's open arms. Even though Lottie was a big girl now, she still considered her friend a replacement mother to her, and Sara's maternal nature was suited to this arrangement. Ermengarde waited until Sara came over to hug her friend.

"Sara, I'd like you to meet my new roomie, Mary Lennox. Mary, this is my best friend, Sara Crewe."

The girls politely shook hands and sized each other up. Both thought the other was exceptionally pretty, and they wondered about each other.

"So please tell me everything about Paris and Venice and Rome," Ermengarde asked in rush, causing Sara to laugh. So she filled the girls in on her travels. Becky brought tea, and Lottie and Ermengarde greeted her enthusiastically. Once Sara was down telling of her travels, she turned to Mary.

"Ram Dass told me you lived in India," she said.

"Yes, I lived there until my parents died of cholera three years ago," Mary told her.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," said Sara, feeling awful to bring up something so tragic.

"Please don't be. I never really saw them very much, I barely knew them. I'm sorry they had to die, but in a strange way, it was not as awful as it could be, because it brought me England and my uncle and cousin and Dickon," she reassured Sara.

"Who is Dickon?" Sara asked, causing Mary to suddenly blush. Ermengarde and Lottie looked at her curiously, as she had never mentioned him to either him.

"He's my best friend back in Yorkshire. He is the nicest boy alive," Mary insisted passionately.

"You're best friends with a boy?" asked Ermengarde in wonder.

"Yes," Mary said in a very defensive tone.

"I wouldn't even know what to say to one if I met one," fretted Ermengarde.

"You just talk to them like you would to anyone else," Mary said. "I talk to him and Colin just the same as I talk to any of you."

"Colin's your cousin, right?" Lottie asked.

"Yes, he's over at Eton in school," Mary told them.

"It sounds like you have a great deal of practice talking with boys then," Sara said with smile.

"Really, there isn't anything to it. It's no harder than speaking to another person or a robin."

"You speak with robins?" Lottie asked, sounding enchanted by the idea.

"Yes. In fact, it was a robin that showed me the key to the Secret Garden," Mary said without thinking.

"What's the Secret Garden?" Ermengarde asked, confused. Mary had never mentioned any of this before.

So Mary told her tale of how she arrived to England cross, sickly, and unwanted, then went searching for her late aunt's garden. She told them how Colin had been an invalid who the Garden brought back to health, and how it reunited him with his father, creating a family for them all. The only thing she failed to mention was the fact that Dickon was poor. She described him as a boy who lived nearby and was close to nature and taught her to garden. Let the others draw whatever conclusions they like. She just didn't feel comfortable to admit that he was not from the same class as she was, and did not want her friends looking down on him. So she kept his status to herself.

The girls were utterly enchanted with the story. Sara was a master story teller, and even she was stunned by the drama and romance of the story. She adored Mary's descriptions of the Manor, the garden, but most of all the boys. They were so different, yet so compelling. She could see Dickon's round blue eyes and wide smile leading a troop of gentle animals across the moor, Colin's agate eyes with thick black lashes flashing as he acted like a little rajah. He in particular fascinated her. His struggles and recovery were such an amazing story to her, and her heart went out to him.

Ermengarde and Lottie were equally under Mary's spell. But when she finally finished talking, Ermengarde asked her the one question that had been bothering her.

"How come you didn't tell us of any of this before?" she asked. Mary blushed and looked ashamed.

"It hurt too much to talk about them. I missed them, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. But I'm more used to being away from now, so I'm able to," she answered.

"I understand," Sara said. "It was like when my Papa left me here for school. It was so hard to talk about him to anyone."

"Oh, you go to a school too?" Mary asked.

"Not anymore," Sara told her in a surprisingly fierce manner, which left Mary taken aback. Lottie noticed, and came to Mary's aide.

"Sara used to go to school with us," she explained.

"Used to? Why did you leave?" Mary asked.

Sara sighed and launched into a tale of her own life. She told how her father brought her to Miss Minchin's, where she was the show pupil and lived a very comfortable life. Then, her father invested in his best friend's diamond mines. The mines failed and Sara's father died from the shock of it all penniless. Sara's privileged life came to an end, and she was forced to work as a servant at Miss Minchin's. She ran errands, helped teach the little ones, and did all the jobs no one else wanted to do. Her only friends were Lottie, Ermengarde, Becky, and Melchisidec the rat, which made Mary shudder until Sara ran up to her room to bring him down and show how smart and well behaved he was. Mary thought she would faint, but Melchy was indeed a very sweet rat, and she soon made friends with him too.

Sara's live was hard. She didn't have proper clothes, never had enough to eat, and was treated like a little drudge. Then, one day, after an aborted attempt of a banquet of goodies Ermengarde had that was interrupted by Miss Minchin, The Magic happened. Sara awoke to find her attic transformed with food and gifts. Each day, new and wonderful items appeared and fresh food was provided. And when the man next door's pet monkey escaped and was caught by Sara, she ventured next door to return him. It turned out that the Indian Gentleman, whose real name was Tom Carrisford, was the man who had gotten Sara's father involved with the diamond mine investment. And the mines were not a bust, but bursting at the seams with diamonds. Sara was rich and Mr. Carrisford had been looking for her. He took her away from Miss Minchin's and returned Sara to the happy, luxurious life she thought she would never experience ever again.

Mary was just as enchanted by Sara's tale as Sara was by Mary's. The girls had so much in common. They both lost their families, came from India, were excellent story tellers, believed in magic, clear that they understood each other. And that afternoon, they began a lifelong friendship that would change both girls forever.

**AN: If you are not familiar with Frances Hodgeson Burnett's **_**A Little Princes, **_**much of this chapter comes from that book. Sara, Ermengarde, Lottie, Lavinia, and Miss Minchin are characters from that book. I suppose this work would be more properly listed as a crossover, but this is more Mary's story than Sara's. If you would like to hear Sara's story in full, I highly recommend reading **_**A Little Princess**_**.**


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